RALEIGH, N.C. -- Juana Ortega came to the United States in the 1990s seeking political asylum from Guatemala, but for the past few years she's been living in a Greensboro church under sanctuary. Her story is the focus of a film that looks at the ways immigration enforcement practices are harming families beyond the crisis at the border.

For nearly a decade, said Stefania Arteaga, statewide immigrants' rights organizer for the ACLU of North Carolina, Ortega checked in with ICE each year and received a stay of deportation. But in 2017, she was suddenly told she had 30 days to leave the country or she'd be deported.

"If you look at immigration policy, since the '80s on forward, we're seeing an increase in enforcement and detention centers," Arteaga said, "however, seeing more limitations put into place for people to be able to adjust their status."

Arteaga said non-criminal deportation cases like this one have skyrocketed under the Trump administration. Rather than leave her four children, Ortega decided to use a loophole in ICE policy that prevents the agency from arresting residents of churches, hospitals, schools and other locations deemed sensitive.

The documentary "Santuario" is free online Thursday June 18th as part of a virtual film series, "Stories Beyond Borders." It's hosted by Working Films and Women AdvaNCe.

Arteaga said taking sanctuary often means living in a perpetual limbo. It's a legally complex landscape and cases can be drawn out for years. She said the nation is long overdue for an immigration law overhaul.

"People who are in sanctuary are people who are doing their very best to stay in this country," she said, "and are just waiting for some sort of discretion that is utilized to help them stabilize their case."

Ortega's daughter, Lesvi Molina, said living in sanctuary has taken its toll on the entire family, but especially on her mother's physical and mental health. She said it also has led to financial hardship for her mother, who worked as a seamstress for decades.

"It's hard because the whole situation has cut her income in half, because she is not able to work," Molina said. "She's been here for what, 27 years? She's always worked."

Molina said her mother's status remains unchanged, and she believes only a new administration will bring hope for a return to her life and family without fear of deportation.

Access to the event can be found online at eventbrite.com, and more information about the film is at santuariofilm.com.


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A diverse new coalition of dozens of Nebraska organizations is drawing attention to the state's need for more immigrants.

Members of the Nebraska Alliance for Thriving Communities maintain immigrants are vital for the state's economy and communities to thrive and stress the need for immigration reform. Nebraska currently has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country and this summer had twice as many open jobs as unemployed residents.

Bryan Slone, president of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the group held public events all over the state to get community input and understand the issues.

"From political left, right, center but also urban, rural, there is lots of broad support," Slone pointed out. "Having all these 60 different kinds of organizations come together around common principles proves the point."

A number of Nebraska industries are suffering from a lack of workers, including health care and the state's two largest, agriculture and manufacturing. Slone noted having too few young people to replace retiring Baby Boomers is part of the problem and said this could be "just the tip of this workforce issue." In addition to state and federal legislative changes, he pointed out communities will have to develop the infrastructure they will need to accommodate new immigrant families.

Slone reported one issue that came up repeatedly is how "broken" the country's work visa program is. It makes it difficult for Nebraska's ag industry to have experienced seasonal workers return year after year. And refugees who have been vetted and cleared by the State Department often wait months for a work visa.

"They've been settled and now they can't go to work," Slone observed. "That's the worst thing that can happen to a refugee family that comes to the United States, to not be allowed to work. And so basically, they're relying on social services for a while. And these are hardworking, very well-qualified people that we've invited to our country."

Sue Martin, president and secretary-treasurer of the Nebraska State AFL-CIO, added the citizenship process for immigrants needs to be streamlined.

"To create stability for our friends and co-workers who contribute so much to Nebraska workplaces and yet continue to live with daily uncertainty, so they can stay in Nebraska and continue working," Martin urged.

Martin said it would also help for the state to be more welcoming to immigrants.

In addition to the health care, meatpacking and manufacturing sectors, Martin emphasized the state's building and trades industry also needs many more workers.

"We've got a lot of federal funding coming in for infrastructure," Martin stressed. "We have a lot of building going on right now and are constantly seeking workers."

A new report looked into the recent shift in immigration enforcement, especially at the immigrant detention center in Tacoma.

The University of Washington's Center for Human Rights' report "The Border is Everywhere" found immigration arrests have started to tick back up after falling at the start of the pandemic.

Angelina Godoy, director of the center, said fewer of the arrests are transfers from jails or prisons in Washington and Oregon like they were in the past.

"We see a lot of the more recent arrests happening on ICE check-ins or when folks who have arrived from the southern border are coming here and starting to comply with the process that ICE required them to do in terms of following up on their case," Godoy observed. "That's when they're brought into custody."

Godoy noted Washington and Oregon have passed "sanctuary state" legislation, which has reduced the number of transfers. But other factors are making the average length of stay at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma longer than other detention centers across the country.

The report found bond is granted in a fewer percentage of cases and relief from deportation is denied on more occasions at the Northwest Detention Center than nationwide. Godoy acknowledged there is a perception the Northwest is more friendly to immigrants.

"They might imagine that the conditions here would be better than elsewhere," Godoy explained. "In fact, what we're seeing in report after report is that's not the case."

Godoy emphasized organizations like La Resistencia, the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project and Washington Immigration Solidarity Network are fighting to improve conditions for people in detention in the region. However, she argued immigration enforcement should be a big issue for everyone in the country.

"A lot of inhumanity is occurring and it's occurring on our watch," Godoy added. "This is something that all of us need to be concerned about and taking action to improve."


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A new report found undocumented immigrants are paying substantial taxes in Maryland and nationwide.

The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy found undocumented migrants paid more than $96 billion in federal, state and local taxes in 2022, with Maryland seeing more than $770 million of tax revenue.

Carl Davis, research director for the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, said narratives around how migrants are impacting the nation do not always stand up to scrutiny.

"I think we're able to dispel a lot of myths around this one-sided idea that undocumented immigrants are claiming benefits and not paying any taxes," Davis contended. "It's really not tethered to reality."

With some undocumented workers being paid under the table, the study found if migrants had access to legal status such as a guest worker program, the states and localities would realize an additional $7 billion in tax revenue annually, while adding another $33 billion in federal revenue.

The report showed more than a third of the total paid by undocumented workers goes toward payroll taxes such as Medicare, Social Security and unemployment insurance, programs the same workers are unable to access. With presidential campaign rhetoric often focused on the topic of immigration, Davis noted big policy changes would impact the economy.

"If we're going to dramatically change course on immigration policy, say through ramping up deportations, for example, that's really going to shrink the size of the labor force at a time when a lot of industries are already struggling to fill the positions they have available," Davis emphasized.

While some undocumented immigrants own homes, most rent, and the report found migrants were paying more than $10 billion in property taxes either directly or indirectly via payments to landlords. The study reported most undocumented adults have lived in the U.S. for 16 years or more.

"By and large, these are people who are trying to put down roots and are trying to have a better life for themselves and for their families," Davis added. "These are folks who have been here for quite a while, and who are really contributing to the economy and to our funding of our public services in significant ways."


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